Once More From The Top
by Snafu the Great
Summary: At the conclusion of Mortal Kombat X, Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade are both killed. But this is not the end, but rather a new beginning, as the Elder Gods send them 25 years into the past. Johnny and Sonya now have to try and change the fates of their friends, and at the same time, mend their own broken relationship...if they don't kill each other first, that is.
1. A New Beginning

**Once More From The Top (or, A Different Path Taken)**

A Mortal Kombat Fanfiction

By Snafu the Great

Disclaimer: Mortal Kombat is the property of Netherrealm Studios and WB Games. This idea came to me while I was working on Hokuto Kombat, and I was inspired to do this fanfic by several others fanfics: **Once More From The Top** by Brian Drozd (in which Ranma, Nabiki and Akane are killed by Pantyhose Taro and are sent two years back into the past), **Careful Destiny** by Todd Hill (in which Ranma does not go on the training trip and has a little sister), and **Ranma, The Second Time Around** by kayemsi (in which Ranma dies and is sent back). But the real inspiration came from **The Legend of Korra** , particularly the Lin vs Suyin fight.

This time around, Johnny and Sonya die at the conclusion of Mortal Kombat X, and the Elder Gods fling them 25 years into the past, back to where the events of Mortal Kombat 9 begin. This is going to be a short story, five chapters long.

 **Part One: A New Beginning**

This was not John Carlton's day, let alone his finest hour.

But despite being kidnapped, brought to Raiden's Sky Temple, trapped in a cocoon and tortured by a bug lady who had her maggots eat away at his face, followed by sustaining several energy blasts from a super-powered fallen Elder God who hated his guts with a passion, he could not be any more prouder of his team, most of all his daughter, who Johnny watched wiped the floor with Shinnok.

Oh, the irony, Johnny realized, that Shinnok got his ass handed to him once again by a Cage. Had he not been in pain, he would had been laughing his ass off over that fact.

"How is he? Is he alive?" he heard Cassie ask Kung Jin, after they had pulled Raiden out of the Jinsei, the thunder god having cleansed it from Shinnok's corruption.

"Barely," Jin had replied. "I'll help him. Help your father."

Within seconds, Cassie was at her father's side. "Dad?"

Johnny groaned. "I don't feel so hot." He turned his head and looked at his daughter. "And to think...I was worried when you started dating..."

"Afraid I'd come home to someone like you?" Cassie asked, relieved that her father was still alive.

"Funny...and beautiful. Saves the world," her father quipped. "Yeah...my work here is done. Now get me out of this damn thing."

After several tries, Cassie had to resort to using her baton to begin smashing the resin which trapped her father in place. She was able to get her dad's shoulder free when backup arrived in the form of several heavily-armed soldiers, led by Johnny's ex-wife.

"This way! In here!" General Sonya Blade barked out, Desert Eagle in her hands. "Isolate Shinnok and D'vorah. And get the medic!" She turned her head and saw her ex-husband and daughter.

But as she took a step forward, she snapped her head back towards her men when she heard the screams. Three of her men were on the ground, bleeding out from fist-sized holes in their chests and torsos, and three more were slammed to the side from D'vorah's extended stingers. Sonya brought her Magnum to bear, but the weapon was knocked out of her hand, and she was knocked away. Kung Jin was also knocked aside, his Dragon's Head bow clattering to the floor.

In her hand, was Shinnok's amulet. The Kytinn looked at her and smiled an evil smile as she raised the amulet, aiming it at Johnny and Cassie.

"NO!" Sonya screamed as she quickly scrambled to her feet and bolted towards Johnny and Cassie, who was desperately trying to get her father out of the cocoon.

"Cass! Get out of the way!" Johnny shouted.

"I'm not leaving without you, Dad!" his daughter shouted back.

"Dammit, for once, just listen to me!"

D'vorah fired off a powerful blast from the amulet...

...just as Sonya shoved Cassie out of the way, knocking her to the floor, just as the blast from Shinnok's amulet struck them both, disintegrating them in an instant, the last thing Johnny and Sonya hearing was Cassie's horrified screams.

Then D'vorah aimed the amulet at Cassie, who began to once again, conjure green energy. This time, however, the emerald green soon gave way to crimson as she got back up. D'vorah blasted the young sergeant with the Amulet, but the crimson energies surrounding her body protected her from the deadly blasts.

"Cassie!" Kung Jin shouted. In his hands, was Sonya's Desert Eagle. He tossed it to her, just as D'vorah's attempts to disintegrate Cassie failed, third-degree burns on her hand and up her arm.

Cassie caught the Magnum and began to unload its deadly payload into the insect woman who had just killed her parents. Round after round tore into the Kytinn's body, forcing her back, until the gun clicked empty. Cassie dropped the gun and broke into a run, all the while retrieving her baton and extending it to its full length. The first blow had obliterated D'vorah's jaw.

The last ten blows had done the same to her head. But it didn't change the fact that Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade were dead.

* * *

 **Here, is where our story ends. But to some, an end is merely a beginning in disguise. The Elder Gods saw fit to change the fate of Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade by sending them back in the past...back to the eve of the Mortal Kombat tournament. Here, is where our story begins. Here, with the knowledge of what is to come in the next 25 years, do they have a chance to change the fates of their friends...if they don't kill each other first.**

* * *

Johnny Cage's Condo – Venice Beach, California

Johnny groaned and clutched his head, as if he was trying to stave off the mother of all headaches as he assumed a sitting position. 'And this is why I stopped drinking after Cindy and I divorced,' he thought as the vertigo passed.

Then he froze. The last thing he remembered was being obliterated alongside Sonya from Shinnok's amulet when D'vorah had used it on the both of them, hoping to wipe out the Cage family in one fell swoop.

She had missed Cassie, thankfully.

He was not in Raiden's Sky Temple. He was stretched out on the sofa in his living room, inside his condo. Several screenplays were stacked on the table, and his laptop was open. Johnny looked at the bottom right corner of the laptop's screen, and saw the date.

'The hell?! I'm in the past!' Johnny thought.

Then he saw the small wooden box, a foot in length, and four inches high. Johnny recognized it instantly. Inside the box, it contained the invite to the Mortal Kombat tournament. One which Shang Tsung himself had personally gave to him the night before.

But there was something else that was there alongside the box. Something that Johnny knew wasn't there. A folded piece of parchment, ancient.

It was a note. Brief, and addressed to him.

 **The Elder Gods send their regards, Johnny Cage. Consider this a second chance for you and for Sonya Blade. Do not waste it.**

The paper then disintegrated, falling to the table like fine sand. That was when he noticed the second item. Two photographs. The first was a family photo consisting of himself, Sonya and a 13-year-old Cassie. They had been happy together, right before Sonya chose her job over her family. It had been a miracle in itself that they had remained married for so long in itself.

The second photo was that of his team, twenty-five years from now. Both he and Sonya were in the photo, albeit on opposite sides; Johnny stood by Cassie, who was flanked by Jacqui, Takeda, Kung Jin and Sonya. Johnny was grinning in the photo, while Sonya had her arms folded, hat pulled over her brow, and unsmiling.

Then, his phone began to ring. Johnny reached over for the phone, but hesitated. He knew that his agent was on the other end, trying to get him to reconsider in his decision to head for the tournament. He decided to skip that headache and got up from the couch.

Beep. "Hi. Johnny Cage. Talk to me," Johnny's voice on the answering machine said.

"Johnny, it's Chuck."

"Hi, Chuck," Johnny said offhandedly as he stretched.

"Johnny, I know you're there. Come on, pick up the phone. Look...all I'm saying is that you should reconsider this whole tournament idea. You're a commodity, John. You're looking at 20 mil this year. You wanna risk that? Janice called me and said that you haven't read the script for 'Iron Claw,' and shooting starts on the 17th of next month. And from what I've heard, this tournament isn't even sanctioned by any martial arts organization, let alone anyone has even heard of this tournament."

Johnny continued to ignore his agent as he thought of the prospects that laid before him. He had been fifty-four at the time of his death. Now he was twenty-nine again. He wondered whether or not he still pertained his skills from when he was training Cassie and her team.

Johnny raised his hands and focused. Moments later, a melon-sized green ball appeared in between his hands. He performed a Tai Chi routine with the glowing ball of energy. Yeah, that little side trip to Seido following the Netherrealm War had its advantages. Pleased to see that he still had his skills, Johnny went off to prepare, just as Chuck was finishing the call.

"Look, you're going, and I can't stop you. You got two weeks, and try not to get hit in the face."

 **Click.**

"And Sonya calls me an ass," Johnny muttered as he began to prepare. Not only for the tournament, but to also try and save the lives of Liu and the others when the time came for Sindel to attack, but also hoped to fix his relationship with Sonya.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Hong Kong...

Sonya Blade stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. When she was General Sonya Blade, she looked younger than her fifty-one years, easily passing for much younger. Now, she was twenty-six again. Twenty-six, and a Lieutenant.

The last thing she remembered before waking up in her hotel room was pushing Cassie out of the way, before both her and Johnny were obliterated by D'vorah. By all accounts, she should have died.

But she was alive, and in the past. She looked at the items that sat on the nightstand table; the small rectangular wooden box which contained the invite to the Mortal Kombat, along with a hand-written note addressed to her by Shang Tsung himself.

 **Lieutenant Blade. Major Briggs is here enjoying my hospitality on my island. If you wish to see him again, then come and fight in my tournament. Your refusal would be most unwise.**

But there was also a second note, addressed to her.

 **The Elder Gods send their regards. This is your second chance, Sonya Blade. Do not squander it.**

Aside from the note, there were two pictures. Both she recognized all too well. The picture of herself, Johnny and their teenage daughter, back when they were a family. The second was that of Johnny's squad, with Sonya on the far end of the picture.

The first photo Sonya looked at with a sense of regret. Johnny had the same photo with him. The second one caused her anger to rise.

She wondered if Johnny was also sent back into the past as she exited the bathroom and opened her travel bag. But now, she was presented with an opportunity to save lives, to change the past in order to secure a better future for Earthrealm.

But first, she needed to prepare.

* * *

Shang Tsung's Island, days later.

Sonya had felt a sense of anticipation mixed with dread as she ventured deeper into Shang Tsung's island fortress. Kano could wait. Now, she was trying to track her ex-husband down. The last time she was here was when both her and Johnny had rescued Cassie and Jacqui from Havik. Now, here she was, yet again, once again competing in the tournament.

She had kept her distance from Johnny. Part of it was because she wondered if he had been sent back in time with her. The other half was over a long-simmering animosity between her and her ex-husband, the accusation of her choosing her job over both him and Cassie.

She respected Johnny, both as a father and a fighter, but following the divorce and the events after that, her animosity towards him grew. When Secretary Blake tapped Johnny for the role of teacher and mentor to Cassie's team, it had increased, as she wanted to be the one to train Cassie and her team. But Sonya had buried it deep down inside of her. Her rage had reared its ugly head when Kano threatened to harm Cassie.

 _"Well then...if mother won't play nice, maybe daughter will."_

 _"If you touch her..."_

 _"Back off, Sonya, and all's well. But if you piss me off...then Cassie's gonna meet Uncle Kano."_

 _"I swear to God I'll kill you!"_

And she almost did, had it not been for Johnny.

 _"Sonya! Don't do something you know you'll regret."_

Sonya saw Johnny was ahead of her. But rather than the tuxedo he wore, he was dressed instead the fighting attire she had seen him clad in during the Outworld Tournament and in Kahn's Invasion (i.e., his MKII-inspired uniform) and a sleeveless black shirt. Sonya's eyes narrowed...then widened in realization that whatever had happened to her happened to Johnny as well.

If that wasn't enough, it was how he had dismantled Reptile in a matter of second, followed by a lack of preening and grandstanding from his end. What he had done to Baraka was much worse. The Tarkartan had both arms and legs broken, followed by half of the bones in his ribcage.

Once Shang Tsung had dismissed the fighters for the night, Sonya decided to go after Johnny, rather than deal with Kano, as tempting that was.

But she lost Johnny upon entering a wooded pathway. Sonya looked around, and cursed under her breath. When she turned around, Johnny was there, and in a flash, Sonya found herself pinned up against a tree, Johnny's hand on her throat while the other was chambered back, ready to strike.

"STOP! CAGE, IT'S ME! IT'S SONYA!" Sonya shouted.

Johnny wasn't convinced. "Prove it."

Sonya's hand reached inside her pocket and she pulled out the photo of Cassie and her team, shoving it into his face. Johnny released her and lowered his fist. "Nice to see you too, honey," he said.

"Still the ass, John."

Johnny shrugged his shoulders. "You still love it."

After they calmed down, Johnny sat on an overturned piece of stone, while Sonya was leaned up against a tree. "What was the last thing you remember?" Sonya asked.

"After being captured by Shinnok?" Cage paused for a moment. "Being tortured by the creepy bug lady. Then by Shinnok. And Cassie kicking his ass up and down the Jinsei. Then you showed up...and you know the rest."

"Cass took down Shinnok?" Sonya asked, amazed.

Johnny nodded. "You would have been proud of her, Sonya. I know I was. You?"

Sonya shuddered. "Dying. And then...I was in bed., in my hotel room in Hong Kong."

"My place, on the couch for me. Looks like we've done something right, since the Elder Gods brought the both of us back here to this time."

"So what do we do now?" Sonya asked.

"We've been sent back 25 years, Sonya. We have a small, but valuable advantage. We know what's going to happen from here to Shinnok. Raiden messed with the timeline by trying to make things better, but ended up making things worse. Now we gotta try and fix his mess."

Sonya nodded. She knew about Raiden's interference. In the First Run (as what she called it), she and Johnny didn't hook up and Cassie wasn't born. Then came the Deadly Alliance of Shang Tsung and Quan Chi, in which they were killed fighting off the Tarkartan forces. And they were revived by Onaga to serve him, but the mind control was soon broken. Then came Armageddon, in which they both were killed; Johnny by decapitation while Sonya was ripped in two.

"Not only that, but we got a chance to save the lives of Liu and the others. And hopefully, fix what went wrong with us," Johnny finished.

Sonya frowned. "There is no us, Cage. You wanted the divorce because you couldn't stand not being the center of attention. I had my responsibilities."

Johnny stood up. "Our twenty-three year-old daughter says otherwise." He took a step forward, removing his glasses so that he could look Sonya in the eyes. "And if memory serves, I fought with you to make things work until the bitter end. I never wanted to be the center of attention for you. I get enough of that already. I just wanted you. I would have done almost anything for you, yet you were unable to do the same for me."

That took Sonya aback.

Johnny shook his head. "You really are a piece of work, Blade. You're quick to pass the blame on to me when you're no saint yourself."

Sonya's eyes narrowed.

"You disappear in you work for days, weeks on end. You didn't have to lie to Cassie when she asked when were you coming home. Even with my own career, I made time for you and Cass." His voice could cut steel, his dark brown eyes staring down into Sonya's icy blues. "I said this one, and I'll say it again. There was a time when you cared more about your family than your job... _General._ "

He then caught himself. "Oh, I'm sorry. I meant _Lieutenant_."

Sonya felt her hand ball up into a fist. The Johnny Cage of old was more boisterous and cocky. This one was more somber, the Johnny Cage she remembered two decades from now. She stalked past Johnny, and had walked several steps forward when he called her name.

She spun around. "What now?"

Johnny pointed to his left, Sonya's right. "Jax is that way. Kano's waiting for you at The Pit."

As much as she wanted to pound Kano's head into powder, rescuing Jacqui's dad took precedence. She stalked off in the direction of where Jax was imprisoned.

Johnny watched her walk off and pinched the bridge of his nose before putting on his glasses. So much to do, and so little time. But who could he trust?

Raiden would probably screw things up further, so that was out. Bi-Han was destined to die at the hands of Hanzo – make that, Scorpion. Sektor and Lin Kuei were in the pockets of Shang Tsung. Kuai Liang and Tomas Vbrada were somewhere in China. Kitana and Jade were firmly in the Outworld camp until their defection sometime later.

That left Nightwolf, the Lakota Shaman. He held Raiden in high regard, and Johnny respected him. But how to approach the Native American over the fact that not only was Johnny and Sonya from twenty-five years into the future, but to also keep him alive from a rampaging Edenian Queen.

Johnny sighed. 'And she says **I'm** the irresponsible one,' he thought as he walked off in the opposite direction.


	2. Showdown

**Part Two: Showdown**

Wu Shi Academy – three days later.

Sonya Blade had been in a foul mood ever since the 'reunion' with her ex.

She had rescued Jax, but did not call the chopper in, knowing that Shang would be waiting to blast it out of the sky. This time around, it was both her and Jax who had beaten down Kano, forcing her most hated enemy to retreat.

The tournament had taken its course, just as she remembered. Bi-Han died at the hands of Scorpion. Johnny had lost to Cyrax (although she suspected that he threw that match), and most importantly, Liu Kang defeated both Goro and Shang Tsung.

Following the tournament, Raiden had hosted his warriors at the Wu Shi Academy, allowing them to rest and recover from the tournament. Since then, Johnny made one attempt to try and speak with her. As she didn't want to deal with him, she avoided. Then, much to her surprise, he stopped trying to track her down, seeking solace as he did his Tai Chi katas. She remembered hearing from Cassie that Johnny had taken up the art in order to calm himself down following the divorce.

Sonya herself was standing hunched over on the balcony, watching as Liu and Kung Lao led the White Lotus monks in their martial arts class. Her frown deepened. It reminded her of Johnny.

She thought that Johnny had been a crutch to her in regards to her career. When he finally agreed to the divorce, she didn't care about the alimony, as she refused it. She even allowed Johnny full custody of Cassie, with her getting their daughter on the weekends and during the summer.

But despite being free to pursue her own goals, Sonya felt miserable. But she buried it deep down, focusing on her own ambitions. So much so that she missed both Cassie's high school graduation and her boot camp graduation. She only found out that Cassie had joined the military from Johnny three years after graduating from high school, and even rejected a military scholarship to West Point, one she would have gotten hands-down with her recommendation.

Even more so, Cassie had taken on her father's stage name as her own. Cassandra Carlton Cage.

Using her influence, she had both her and Jacqui transferred to her base, where they both volunteered for S.F. Cassie had been surprised to see that her mother was also the base commander when she was summoned to Sonya's office for a private meeting.

It had ended very badly.

[Flashback]

 _The woman looked just like her, Sonya realized as she continued to scan her military file. Aside from a couple of broken regulations, the woman's file was nearly perfect. On top of that, she was on the fast track for a promotion to Staff Sergeant._

 _Sonya's brow furrowed. She was surprised to find out that her estranged daughter had decided to pursue a career in the military. She was even more surprised to find out she had rejected a scholarship to West Point. With her will and drive, she would have been finished in three years. But she didn't, which disappointed her._

 _"At ease, Sergeant Cage," Sonya ordered. When her daughter relaxed, Sonya continued to scan her file. "High marks in marksmanship, hand-to-hand combat, remarkable leadership skills..." Sonya closed the dossier. "Your file is most impressive, Sergeant."_

 _"Thank you, General," Cassandra replied._

 _Sonya took note of the disdain in her voice. "Is there something on your mind, Sergeant?"_

 _"I am curious as to why I am here."_

 _Sonya leaned back in her chair. "You had been offered a scholarship to West Point, but you refused. Why?"_

 _"Are you asking me as my commanding officer? Or as my mother?"_

 _"Both."_

 _"I wanted to earn my own way," Cassie replied. "I wanted to make my own path. Something that my father taught me."_

 _Sonya bristled at that. "And how is...Mr. Cage?"_

 _"Doing well. He supported me in my decision to join the military."_

 _That surprised Sonya. Here, she thought that Johnny would push her into pursuing an acting career. But he didn't._

 _"Permission to speak freely, General?" Cassie asked._

 _"Granted," Sonya replied. She would soon come to regret that decision._

 _"Why didn't you come to my high school graduation? Or my boot camp graduation, for that matter?" Cassie asked. "I want the truth, and don't you dare use Dad as an excuse. I know he gave you the time and date for both. What I want to know is why?"_

 _Sonya sighed. "Since I can't blame your father, Sergeant, I really have no excuse. I was so wrapped up in my work, by the time the dates had passed, it was already too late. For that, I apologize. But I was hoping for some mother-daughter time, to try and mend things between us."_

 _"Oh? How so?"_

 _"I'm offering you a commission, Sergeant. Second Lieutenant, and the chance to personally train under me. You don't even have to go through O.C.S., as I can exempt you from that. Your grandfather – my father – was an officer. My late brother was an officer. I'm an officer. I want you to be the fourth in the family to become an officer, to be even better than I am."_

 _"Won't that count as nepotism? I'm sure that everyone on the base knows that I'm your daughter."_

 _Sonya waved it off. "Never mind them. Cassie...Cassandra. I can't take back what I've done, but I do care. And I want you to make the decision that is best for you."_

 _Cassie pondered that for a moment. "In that case..."_

 _A smile began to form on Sonya's face._

 _"...I refuse."_

 _That shot Sonya down. "What?" she said, surprised._

 _"I said no," Cassie repeated. "This is not a commission. This is a bribe. Plain and simple."_

 _Now Sonya was mad. She was on her feet. "You dare refuse me? Me?"_

 _"Yes, General. I do dare," Cassie replied, not backing down._

 _"You're just like your father. You know that?" Sonya snapped._

 _"At least he was a parent," rebuked Cassie._

 _How dare you speak to me that way, Cassandra! I'm still your mother!"_

 _"No. You quit being my mother when you chose your job over your family. You yourself burned that bridge long ago. You can take your bribe and shove it. Our relationship is no longer mother-daughter. It's platonic and strictly professional. To you, I'm Sergeant Cassandra Cage. For me, you're General Blade. I've long since gotten over it and I don't want to deal with it."_

 _She turned on her heels and walked out of the office._

 _"Cassandra! Sergeant! Sergeant Cage!"_

 _The door slammed behind Cassie._

[End Flashback]

Sonya's rank and temper were legendary. But the fact that General Blade had been told to fuck off – by her own daughter, of all people – had boosted Cassie's standing with the enlisted personnel, even more so when Sonya didn't sent Cassie to the brig or demoted her for insubordination. Not only did her daughter's insubordination made her blood boil, but it was the fact that Johnny has been chosen to train and lead the quintet of warriors – the next generation of kombatants, Cassie and Jacqui among them – that had nearly driver her to rage.

For over a decade, Sonya was able to contain and control her emotions. Now, they were threatening to boil over. Breathing exercises, morning calisthenics, the occasional trip to the firing range, almost nothing worked. Even the monks were of no help, as she was about to explode. She had almost did when she strangled Kano to near-death.

But now, enough was enough. She had to deal with Johnny. She could not let him win, let alone have the moral high ground. She turned from the class and walked away, running into Jax as she did so.

"Whoa. What got you all pissed off, Lieutenant?" Jax asked.

"Gonna have a chat with Mr. Cage," was all that Sonya said, before leaving Jax behind.

"Sonya! Hey, Sonya!" Jax shouted. He then broke into a run, trying to catch up with his subordinate. She had been rather...off following her rescuing him. But he couldn't put his finger on it. Now, Sonya had dropped an important clue.

'Mr. Cage,' as in Johnny Cage, the action star.

* * *

In a secluded grove, Johnny Cage moved slowly through the Tai Chi kata. For that moment, nothing worried him. Not Raiden, not Sonya, or even the next series of events that were to come following the attack on the Shaolin Temples, which was to come later on tonight. Pleasure in martial arts was something that he took joy in, something he had passed on to Cassandra.

Johnny had taken up Tai Chi in the months following the divorce. His teacher was Kai, a Shaolin Monk, who had seen the turmoil he had been under, and had taken him as a student. Goes to show that despite your age, one never stops learning. He had incorporated the Tai Chi he had learned under Kei into his combat training from Seido. Had Master Hotaru been here to witness Johnny's growth, he'd improved.

'Oh, wait. He did,' Johnny thought.

When Johnny was given command over the quintet of kombatants, one of the things he had did was to arrange a two-week training trip to the Realm of Order. Fortunately for him, Cassie and the others did not break or violate any of the rules there, seeing as how Johnny had warned them first-hand of what would happen if they had done that.

But the trip proved to be beneficial for his young charges, of who did not exist yet.

"I thought I would find you here."

Johnny continued to do his kata. But he acknowledged the shaman's presence as he stood on the sidelines, watching. "Nightwolf. Did Raiden sent you here?"

"No. I came of my own accord," Nightwolf replied. "Haokah does not know. I could not help but to notice the animosity between you and Lieutenant Blade. It appears she has nothing but contempt for you."

"And what? It disrupts the harmony of the other fighters, or something like that?"

"Something like that." Nightwolf sounded amused. "You are like the wind blowing in the breeze, while she is a maelstrom, ready to burst."

Johnny stopped his kata and faced the shaman/martial artist. An idea came to him. "How good of a shaman are you? Can you search through one's mind and look at their memories?"

Nightwolf nodded. "That's easy for me," he replied.

"All right." Johnny steeled himself. "Do me. Search my memories, and that will give you the answers you seek."

Nightwolf did as he was asked. He walked over to Johnny, placed both hands on his head, bowed his eyes and concentrated, opening Johnny's mind to him.

He was not ready for what had been revealed to him. But Nightwolf saw everything that was to happen. The Outworld Toournament...Raiden surrendering Subzero to the Lin Kuei...Kung Lao's death at the hands of Shao Kahn...the Outworld Invasion of Earthrealm...Sindel's deadly housecall on the Forces of Light, and his sacrifice in stopping her...Liu Kang's accidental death and his cursing of Raiden...Shinnok's invasion of Earthrealm...Johnny's near-death experience and the restoration of Subzero, Jax and Scorpion...Johnny's training in Seido...of Johnny's marriage to Sonya...the birth of their daughter...their divorce, and Sonya's resentment...the trek into Outworld to rescue both Cassie and Jacqui...the training of the new kombatants...and his and Sonya's death at the hands of D'vorah.

Nightwolf yanked his hands back and stumbled backwards. Johnny noted that the shaman was looking very green despite his warpaint.

"Feel free to throw up. Just not on me," Johnny said.

After Nightwolf emptied the morning's breakfast from his stomach, Johnny began to explain. "Sonya and I are from the future. Twenty-five years, if you want the numbers. We both died at the hands of the walking cockroach, and the Elder Gods catapulted the both of us back here to try and fix Raiden's mistakes. And from what you've seen, he makes plenty."

Nightwolf was silent. But he listened.

"I know you hold Raiden in high regard," Johnny said. "And even I respect you a great deal, Nightwolf. But now is not the time to let him know, or else he just might make things even more worse. When the time comes, Sonya and I will tell him everything. Promise me, Nightwolf."

"You have my word," the shaman agreed. "Haokah will not know."

Johnny nodded. "Good." He helped Nightwolf to his feet. "Now to tend to our guests."

Puzzled, Nightwolf turned to where Johnny was facing. Two men stood before them, one in gray, the other blue. From the insignias on their uniform, they were Lin Kuei. Almost immediately, Nightwolf materialized a pair of hatchets in his hands, but Johnny placed a hand on his shoulder, making him pause. "It's okay. I called them here."

Nightwolf looked at Johnny as if he was out of his mind.

"Trust me on this," Johnny said.

Nightwolf relented. The hatchets disappeared, but he kept a wary eye on the two Lin Kuei.

"Kuai Liang. Tomas Vbrada. I see you got my message," Johnny said.

"How did you know that we had a mole within the Shaolin?" Kuai Liang asked.

"I have my ways," Johnny said. "But that's not important right now."

"You said you have information in regards to my brother," Kuai Liang said.

"Yes. I am sorry, but your brother is dead. Slain by Scorpion. But Scorpion is not to blame. He was manipulated to the task by Quan Chi."

"I know the name. Bi-Han mentioned him in regards to Shinnok's Amulet."

Johnny's eye twitched upon the mentioning of the amulet. Good thing he had his shades on.

"Why do you say that Scorpion is blameless?" Smoke asked.

"Scorpion believes that the Lin Kuei had exterminated his clan, the Shirai Ryu, and that Bi-Han had murdered his wife and child. The culpit is Quan Chi. This is what I know. The next piece of info concerns the both of you."

"Oh?" Kuai Liang repeated. "How so?"

"I know about the Cyber Intiative Program that the Lin Kuei is starting up. I also know that the both of you and Cyrax had spoken out against it. The Lin Kuei has allied itself with Outworld, and you two are the top prospects for the robo-ninja program. Raiden will sell you out to the Lin Kuei in order to save Smoke from undergoing the process."

"It's true," Nightwolf seconded. "I had seen his thoughts, his visions. It's all true."

Johnny allowed them to take a moment to digest the news.

"What...what can we do?" Smoke asked.

"The tournament will last three days," Johnny replied. "On the third day...be somewhere else. Get out of Outworld, and hide out in Earthrealm. Find refuge with the Special Forces. Ask for Gen...I mean, Lieutenant Sonya Blade. She will help you."

"We will," Kuai Liang said. "Thank you, Mr. Cage."

Both the future Subzero and Smoke bowed. Johnny returned the gesture. Then they were gone. But Johnny was not finished yet. Sonya was heading his way, followed by Jax. She was walking with a purpose, the eyes intense and angry.

Without breaking his stare on Sonya, Johnny addressed Nightwolf. "Don't interfere. No matter what happens, do not interfere. This has been a long time coming for the both of us."

Nightwolf said nothing, but nodded, and stepped to the side, just as Sonya stopped within a double-arm's reach, Jax behind her.

"Something I can help you with, Lieutenant?" Johnny asked.

Sonya caught the underlying tone in her ex-husband's voice. The way he pronounced her former (now current) rank was tantamount of him saying 'Screw You.' "We need to talk, Cage," she said.

Johnny cocked an eyebrow. "Talk? You want to talk to me? After all this time? You didn't want to talk when we divorced. You didn't want to talk when Cass joined S.F., you didn't want to talk to me during the fiasco with Shinnok's Amulet and you didn't want to talk when we came here. Why now?"

Behind her, Jax had a puzzled look on his face. "Wait...divorced? Sonya, what's he talking about? And who is Cass?"

"Shut up, Jax," Sonya snapped, not caring that he was a higher rank than her.

"You want to talk?" Johnny asked, folding his arms across his chest. "Fine. Talk."

"Why?" Sonya demanded. "Why did you turn Cass against me?"

"I did nothing of the sort, Blade. You done that yourself, remember? I made plenty of mistakes in my life and Cassandra was no angel, but I owned up to my mistakes. Something I taught Cassie. You weren't there when she was crying herself to sleep every night. How was I to explain to a thirteen-year-old girl whose only wish was to see her mother, that she was not coming home?"

"I had responsibilities! I had a job to do!" Sonya defended, albeit weakly.

"Well, so did I! I had the whole world at my feet. I made millions! but I was above all things, a father to Cassie. I was a parent. Cassie joined the army solely to impress you. But when you failed to show up for her boot camp graduation, she changed. She no longer wanted to impress you. She wanted to be better than you."

"Excuse me..." Jax began.

This time, it was Johnny who turned to Jax. "Shut up."

Johnny then turned back to Sonya. "This is exactly what I was talking about, Sonya. You always blame others for your problems, yet you think you are holier-than-thou. Cassie told me about the offer you made her. I had nothing to do with that. She chose that on her own. She had hoped that you would at least be there for her after we rescued her. But she was disappointed. She didn't take the commission because she saw what being an officer had done to you."

"Hey!" Jax shouted.

This time, both Sonya and Johnny spun on Jax. "SHUT UP!" they both shouted, causing the commando to take a step back.

"You blame me for your destroyed relationship with our daughter," Johnny said. "You burned that bridge on your own. 'Mom of the Year' material right there."

"You better watch yourself, Cage..." warned Sonya, hands balled into fists.

"Or what? You're gonna imagine that I'm Kano and try and beat my ass?" retorted Johnny. "And people call me a fraud. I honestly tried to see the good in you. I really tried, Sonya, but now I see. You held the guilt inside of you all these years. I tried to get you to open up to me. But I failed. You let it consume you, and it cost us our marriage."

Sonya was about one step away from punching Johnny out.

"You hid behind your rank because for you, it was the easiest thing for you to do, and look what it turned you into. A cold and bitter woman who cares only for herself." Johnny scoffed. "No wonder Cass favored me over you."

At that, Sonya exploded.

 **POW.**

Johnny was caught off-guard by Sonya's hard punch to the jaw, which knocked him to the floor and knocked his shades off of his face.

"So..." Johnny paused to spit out a wad of blood, "you still have your claws."

"Get up," Sonya hissed, her face contorted in rage. "I said GET UP, CAGE!"

Jax, in the meantime, tried to intervene. "Sonya! Stand down!" he ordered, grabbing her arms.

Sonya responded by snapping her head back, catching Jax in the face, followed by a hard punch to the groin, causing her superior officer to fall holding his junk. As she did this, however, Johnny counterattacked. He punched Sonya in the stomach, forcing the air out of her lungs, before planting an uppercut on her jaw, knocking her on her back.

Sonya's reaction was that of surprise, followed by anger. Then that was replaced with rage. The same rage Johnny had seen on her face when she tried to strangle Kano to death when he threatened to harm their daughter.

"This is how it's gonna play out, huh?" Johnny snarled. "Fine. Let's dance, baby."

With a feral scream of rage, Sonya tackled Johnny to the ground. After a scuffle, she was on top, and was landing blow after blow on Johnny, right before her hands found his neck, and attempted to strangle the life out of him.

"DAMN YOU! GODDAMN YOU! I HATE YOU! IHATEYOU!IHATEYOU!IHATEYOU!IHATEYOU!IHATEYOU!" Sonya screamed, spittle flying from her mouth,

Johnny retaliated by smashing the palms of his hands into Sonya's ears, which forced her to let him go. The elbow to her face knocked her off of him.

Sonya was like a woman possessed. Thirty years worth of pent-up rage had exploded. The rage was her friend. She had embraced it and it had given her extra strength.

Sonya's front snap kick was swatted to the side, as were several rapid punches. But Sonya nailed Johnny with several hard blows to the torso. Johnny responded with a left cross to her face and a roundhouse kick that sent her spinning to the ground.

But Sonya was just as fast as Johnny, as she sprang into a handstand and her legs found their way around Johnny's neck, right before flinging him across the impromptu arena, through a life-sized clay statue of the Great Kung Lao, Johnny demolishing the statue upon impact, and bouncing off the side of a tree.

[Cue the X-ray, in which we see several of Johnny's ribs now cracked and broken from the impact]

Ignoring the pain in his ribs, Johnny rolled forward, rapidly closing the distance between himself and Sonya. She dodged the Forceball, but was left wide open for the Shadow Kick that followed. Sonya felt the air being forced out of her system as she fell to the ground in a heap. But she was back on her feet, the rage still burning bright in her eyes as she wanted nothing more than to beat Johnny within an inch of his life.

Johnny ducked under Sonya's backhand. Then he shifted his body to the side as Sonya's punch to the face grazed only his shoulder, and ducked again under Sonya's punch to the face. When Sonya tried for a roundhouse kick to the jaw, Johnny went into the splits, and Sonya missed.

When she spun around, the hard spinning back kick to the face knocked her hair out of her ponytail. Sonya was forced to dodge the two consecutive roundhouses that Johnny had thrown at her. Sonya responded with a hard kick to the stomach, followed by another kick to her ex's face. Johnny bloodied her nose with a hard punch of his own, followed by a backflip kick whick knocked her on her ass.

When Johnny moved in closer, she went for another Leg Grab, only this time, Johnny caught her by the ankles, and kicked her in the spine. Sonya fell back to the ground in pain. But she got back up. She would not, **could not** , let Johnny win. Not this time.

For six full minutes, Sonya and Johnny bloodied the other, not giving the other no quarter, not screaming for mercy. Not even when Sonya had broken several more of his ribs from the impact of her fists and feet, Johnny fought on. Not even when Johnny had fractured her jaw, swollen one eye closed, and cracked several of her own ribs, did Sonya not relent.

Both were running on fumes, with Johnny being the more battered of the pair. He had gained some distance when he used his Shadow Kick to knock Sonya back several feet. But even he knew that wasn't going to last for very long. But he didn't care. This had been a long time coming. Twenty-five years of frustration over Sonya had boiled over.

"You got it out of your system?" Johnny demanded, ignoring the intense pain as he stumbled over to Sonya.

Sonya got back to a vertical base. "Not yet!"

The pair were wobbly on their feet, having taken and dishing out quite a beating. This would be the knockout blow.

Johnny and Sonya charged…

...only to skid to a halt when Raiden appeared in a burst of lightning, accompanied by Nightwolf, who had ran off to retrieve the thunder god just as the fight began.

" **ENOUGH!** " Raiden boomed. "What are you two doing?! Why are you trying to kill one another?!"

Johnny lowered his fists. Then he fell to one knee and began to cough up blood., holding his side Yep, broken ribs and internal bleeding – bad combination.

Almost immediately, Sonya's anger evaporated into horror over what she had almost done. She had almost killed her ex-husband in a fit of pent-up rage. "John..." she reached over to try and pick him back up…

...but Johnny knocked her hand from his shoulder as if she had burned him. He got back up on his own power, ignoring the pain in his body. "I've done all I can," he grunted. "You don't want to listen? Fine."

He turned and walked several steps...before keeling over. Johnny was unconscious before he had hit the ground.

* * *

Later…

"How is he?" Nightwolf asked Raiden upon exiting Johnny's room.

"I've healed his injuries," Raiden replied. "But he needs time to recover his strength." He turned to Sonya, also healed, but had a look of remorse on her face. "What in the name of the Elder Gods were you thinking? Had I not intervened, you would have killed him!"

"I...I'm sorry," Sonya said, head bowed, unable to look at either Raiden or Nightwolf. "I...I just lost control."

Raiden had a look of frustration on his face. "I don't know what is going on with you and Johnny Cage, but the both of you better settle your differences with the utmost speed. At least this did not happen during the tournament, otherwise we would be in serious trouble."

He left Sonya in the hall without another word. Only she and Nightwolf remained.

Sonya's voice was hollow. "You know." It was not a question, but a statement.

"I do," confirmed Nightwolf. "Johnny told me everything. Showed me his thoughts and memories when I performed a mind-walk into his mind."

Sonya said nothing. She instead, opened the door and entered Johnny's room.

Johnny Cage was bedridden, lying on his back. Raiden had healed his wounds, but he was drained, both emotionally and physically. His eyes were closed, the sunglasses placed on the small table next to his bed.

Sonya entered the room, but did not close the door. Nightwolf stood nearby, ready to intervene if necessary.

His eyes were closed, but he knew that Sonya was there, standing over him. "What do you want, Blade?" he asked in a tired tone. "Come to finish the job?"

Sonya flinched. Even while bedridden, Johnny seemed resigned to his fate, that he had been defeated. "I'm...I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean for this to happen. I just...lost my head."

"Understatement of the decade."

Sonya sighed. "Look...you knew that I loved the military with a passion. I grew up in it. My dad was a part of it. Cass loved it. You knew the risks when we married."

"And you knew that I could be away on weeks, even months on my film projects," Johnny replied. "Even with my own responsibilities, aside from Cassie and being Raiden's golden boy, I always made time for the both of you."

"It wasn't just my career," Sonya replied, her voice raising, but she quickly lowered it. "I left you and Cassie to better protect the both of you. We made many enemies from Kano to Quan Chi."

"In case you forgot, I need no protection."

"But aside from that, it was the biggest career opportunity of my life. Dad made it to Major when he died. I managed to surpass him when I was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. In case you forgot, I'm one of Raiden's chosen warriors too, John. I wanted to make a difference, to be something better."

"So what? I wasn't ambitious enough for you?"

"John, you could have done anything you wanted. You have the skills to join S.F. But you chose acting instead."

"I was happy where I was. I love acting as much as you loved the military."

"Didn't you ever wanted to be part of something special?" Sonya asked.

She would soon find out that was the wrong thing to say, as Johnny opened his eyes and fixed upon her one of the most intense, angry stares he could muster. Sonya recognized them, seeing as how Johnny himself were on the receiving end of those.

"Something special?" Johnny repeated. "I **was** part of something special."

Sonya flinched. She knew that Johnny was talking about their marriage. She had hurt him and wounds like that can cut even deeper than the sharpest blade. She had hurt him and now she realized it. It was at that moment, did Sonya finally realized what she truly lost. She had won the battle, but ultimately lost the war. Johnny Cage had finally given up on her.

Having enough of Sonya, Johnny turned on his side, his back facing Sonya. "We're done here. It's time for you to leave, Lieutenant."

Sonya reached out to him, but hesitated. Her hand slowly fell to her side. She turned around and walked towards the door, but stopped and turned around to face Johnny, who was still lying on his side. "For what it's worth, John...I never stopped caring about you despite everything."

Johnny didn't turn around, but replied, "For you, it wasn't enough. Just...go."

Sonya left without another word, walking past Nightwolf and into her own room. She closed the door and slid to the floor, her back against the door. She hugged her knees to her chest, and did the one thing she had promised herself not to do when her father had died.

She cried.

* * *

Hours passed.

Johnny was once again, flat on his back. The wounds on his body had healed, but the wounds in his heart were still open.

In the back of his mind, he wondered was it worth it, hooking up with Sonya. Seeing as how Cassie was the result, it was. But now...

He had played the fight back in his mind. She didn't even looked at Kano with such hatred when she was strangling him to death. He knew that Sonya had some serious issues with commitment and trust, and even directed her to a shrink to help her with her issues. But Sonya refused to go, and had buried it deep down inside.

Until today.

Johnny knew that her fury was the stuff of legends when she was a General. She could have given Sindel a run for her money. But now, he was starting to see that Sonya was a lost cause.

He was also aware that someone was in the room with him. Then he remembered that tonight was when Shang Tsung and a horde of Tarkarta would come and assault the Shaolin Temple. It wasn't a Tarkartan warrior, as they would have gutted him from the get-go.

A hand was on his shoulder, shaking him awake. "On your feet, Cage."

A male voice. Jax.

Johnny opened his eyes. Sure enough, it was Sonya's boss – and Jacqui's dad. He looked liked he had been put through a blender, but was alive. Yeah, he missed the Tarkarta's attack. The last time he was alone with Jax, he had broken the news about Jacqui joining Special Forces. Jax had broken his jaw as a result.

Johnny sat up. "Major Briggs?"

"There was an attack on the temple," Jax explained as Johnny got to his feet and began to stretch, working out the kinks in his muscles. "Sonya's been kidnapped. Raiden is rallying the troops. We leave for Outworld in five minutes." His eyes narrowed. "I don't know what you did to Sonya, or what's going on between the two of you, but once we rescue her, you're coming back with us to Earthrealm, we're all gonna sit down together, and we're all gonna have a nice long chat."

Johnny ignored Jax and walked out past him. He just hoped in the back of his mind that Sonya had warned Jax about his run-in with Ermac.


	3. Loss

**Part Three: Loss**

Note: Special Thanks to Ted Hsu for a phrase in this chapter that came from an email he sent me.

Special Forces Research and Development Facility, Somewhere in the Mojave Desert - three hours before Shao Kahn's Invasion...

"Some people have issues, others have subscriptions, and a few own newsstands."

It was a saying that Sonya's father, Herman Blade enjoyed saying. When he told Sonya this, it had left her confused. When she asked her father the meaning behind the saying, the Major merely smiled and said, "I know the meaning behind the phrase, but I won't tell you. You need to figure that out on you own."

Now, Sonya knew the true meaning behind the saying. Some folks had problems, others had more problems, and other people had more problems than you can count.

She could count herself as one in the third category.

Sonya was alone inside the workout room. She welcomed the silence as she methodically punched away at the heavy punching bag. Body blow after body blow, the bag shaking from the impact of her fists.

She had forgotten about Jax's run-in with Ermac, due to her being too concerned with her own problems, and as before, cost him both his arms. She was once again forced to withdraw in order to see that Jax's injuries would be tended to. Besides, Vera would kill her if Jax had died on her watch. It was a miracle in itself that she didn't blame her for Jax's first death at the hands of Sindel.

This time, however, the blonde lieutenant and her injured superior had been accompanied by the rogue Lin Kuei, Kuai Liang and Tomas Vbrada - the second Subzero and Smoke. When Subzero explained to her that it had been Johnny who had directed them to her, she understood the reason why. Johnny was saving both Lin Kuei from the Cyber-Initiative Program. She could have said no, but she allowed them to come with her.

As Jax was given his indestructible bionic implants, Sonya had spent her time in the workout room when she wasn't pacing the hall outside the operating room. Over thirty years' worth of repressed feelings of hate and anger were now gone, leaving Sonya with a sense of emptiness.

 _"There was a time when you cared about your family than your job...General."_

 _"You quit being my mother when you chose your job over your family."_

Sonya's punches began to increase in strength as each blow began to wear down the bag. With each punch, a memory came into her mind. Memories she had fought long and hard to suppress. But now, they were back in full force.

Sonya and Johnny fighting side-by-side during the Netherrealm War.

 _"Ready?"_

 _"As always."_

Johnny saving her life from Shinnok.

 _"The war is far from over. Quan Chi and the others have escaped. Why are you smiling?"_

 _"She called me 'Johnny.'"_

Sonya saving Johnny from becoming a revenant under Quan Chi's spell.

 _"Johnny Cage is mine!"_

 _"No. HE'S MINE!"_

Sonya's marriage to Johnny inside the courthouse. She had requested it to be that way, a private ceremony with friends and family.

Sonya giving birth to Cassie.

 _"You have a daughter."_

 _"A princess to spoil. Any ideas for a name?"_

 _"We could name her after our mothers, Johnny."_

 _"Erica Rose...Rose Erica...forget it. Terrible names. I always liked Cassandra."_

 _"Cassandra. Cassandra Carlton it is."_

The verbal fights which ultimately lead to their divorce, in which Sonya denied any wrongdoing in the months leading to the separation. Their search for Cassie and Jacqui in Outworld, where she once again treated Johnny with contempt in front of Kotal Kahn.

 _"If my daughter's been...I won't hesitate to..."_

 _"We'll cross that bridge if we get there, Sonya. Pull yourself together."_

 _"Fuck off, John."_

 _"Oh, real mature, Colonel."_

 _"Cage, if you took even an ounce of responsibility..."_

 _"Pot, meet kettle."_

"Grrr..." Sonya growled as she continued to pummel the heavy bag.

As the future general continued to pound away, a memory came back into her mind. She had just been promoted to General, shortly after Cassie had made Sergeant. Sonya had hoped that her daughter would become a third-generation officer, following in her mother and grandfather's footsteps. But she refused.

That lead to Sonya to browbeat her daughter, believing that she wasn't living up to her already-high expectations. When she had Cass brought before her in order to offer it a second time, she also refused. She could have demoted her, even had her thrown into the brig, but that would cause her to despise her eveh further.

Then when the order came from Secretary Blake to form a new team of kombatants, Sonya had recommended herself as their leader upon finding out that Cassie and Jacqui were among its members. Her hopes were dashed when Blake had tapped her ex-husband for the task. She had objected, sure, but Blake was absolute.

She had hoped that Johnny would fail in his task. Oh, how she had hoped that Johnny would ultimately fuck up, allowing her to take back the squad. But, as she should have known by know, Johnny Cage had the annoying habit of making the impossible possible. His defeating Shinnok and saving her life proved that. His methods were unorthodox, even borderline questionable, from the two-week trip to Seido to the week-long training trip at the Shirai Ryu Temple, but even she had to admit that he made Cassie, Jacqui, Kung Jin and Takeda into a formidable team.

She watched from a distance as he got along with his charges, especially their daughter. Johnny didn't rub in in her face, nor did he gloat about it. He had a job to do and much to her chagrin, Johnny excelled at being a teacher. Seeing as how his mother was a retired schoolteacher, that was no surprise. When the divorce was made final, Johnny had been granted custody of Cassie, as she had been a teenager when they divorced, with Sonya getting visitation rights. Johnny even offered to pay Sonya alimony, but she refused out of her wounded pride.

Cassie and the others preferred Johnny's laid-back, yet firm approach, rather than Sonya's hardline methods, of which both Cassie and Jacqui had enough of already.

Then, one night, she was on her way to the locker room when she overheard Cassie and Jacqui talking following their sparring session. She remained hidden as she overheard her daughter and her honorary niece talk. It had been several months since Cassie had refused Sonya's 'offer,' and had left her office in a huff. Since then, Sonya had been denying Cassie's attempts at a promotion, out of spite.

 _"So how did your meeting with Aunt Sonya go?"_

 _"You mean General Blade? This is the first time we've spoken since she found out that I joined the military. Prior to that and what happened in Outworld and on Shang Tsung's Island, we hadn't spoken in five months. I honestly don't know why she was so interested in me now. She wasn't when she would disappear for days on end in her work. She even tried to get back in my good graces by offering me a commission."_

 _"Seeing as how you are with the grunts, Sergeant Cage, you obviously refused. Why?"_

 _"Because I want to make it on my own without help from my parents. Dad understood, as he was the same when he started acting, and look where he is at."_

 _"Heh. Dad still hates his movies, but you can't deny that he's a superstar."_

 _"It's funny, Jacqui. I hated her for a very long time after she and Dad divorced. But now, seeing her after all this time...I actually feel a sense of pity. She's got what she wanted, and all it cost her was a marriage and my respect. Dad has his flaws and I'm hardly Miss Perfect, but the difference between him and General Blade was that he was actually a parent. He was actually a dad. I don't see her as my mother, Jacqui. Not anymore."_

 _"That's harsh, Cass."_

 _"But it's the truth. There was a time when we were happy together. But now...I only see her as General Blade, and not my mother, seeing as how she cared more about her career than me and Dad. I was supposed to be promoted to Staff Sergeant months ago, but she keeps blocking the promotion. I've had it, Jacqui. I'm done. When my tour's up, I'm going to ask for a transfer."_

 _"You know that Aunt Sonya's not going to go for it."_

 _"Then I simply won't reenlist in the Army. I'll enlist elsewhere. Anything to get away from her."_

Sonya's fists and feet began to strike the heavy bag even harder, as if she was trying to beat the memories out of her mind.

 _"No wonder Cass favors me over you."_

Sonya punched the heavy punching bag repeatedly, a bone-chilling wail erupting from her throat, until it became a sustained scream. The bag's chain snapped and it fell to the floor from her final blow. She soon followed, sitting on the overturned bag, head slumped, fists raw, despite the boxing tape. She felt drained, both physically and emotionally. She had time to think, both in Outworld as a hostage, and while Jax was undergoing his cybernetic implants.

She slowly stood up, and shambled into the womens' locker room.

* * *

The shower did little to change her mood. She sat on the floor, dressed, her back against the lockers. She had went through every scenario in her mind. Despite everything, from her denials, and half-truths, all of them had led to the same conclusion.

 **JOHNNY CAGE WAS RIGHT.**

John Carlton, movie star extraordinaire, her ex-husband and the father to Cassandra Carlton Cage, was right about everything.

All it took was for her to nearly kill her ex-husband in a fit of suppressed rage. It was, for Sonya, a bitter pill to swallow, after decades of denying responsibility for her own actions. She had chosen to focus more on her career than him and their daughter. When she made Lieutenant Colonel, she became driven by ambition to be the first member of the Blade clan – and female to boot – to make General.

And she did...at the cost of her marriage and Cassie's respect. Johnny only took the job of training Cassie and the others so he could spend time with his daughter. She had seen their interactions, and only wished that she could join them. But to her, Cassie was just 'Sergeant Cage' and Johnny was either 'Mr. Cage, John, Asshole,' or some other colorful insult that would come to mind.

She had her chance, and blew it in epic fashion.

"Oh, God," she whispered. "What have I done?"

* * *

Following her self-loathing session inside the locker room, Sonya returned to the workout room. This time, Jax, Subzero and Smoke were there. Subzero had changed out of his Lin Kuei uniform and into what Sonya would remember him wearing upon him becoming Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei (i.e., his MK3-inspired outfit) while Smoke was in his usual get-up.

Jax was nudging the fallen punching bag with his foot. "This you?" he asked Sonya.

Sonya nodded. "Yeah." She gestured to the arms. "How's the arms?" she asked.

Jax looked down at them. "Honestly...I think Vera's gonna find 'em kinky...if she doesn't kill me first."

Sonya sighed. "Look, Jax...about what happened between me and Cage back at the Shaolin Temple...I'm sorry for striking you."

"That was one hell of a fight," Subzero said. "You would have made a fine Lin Kuei."

After their meeting with Johnny, both Subzero and Smoke decided to hang around and watched the ensuing brawl between the ex-couple. Bi-Han would have been impressed, had he lived to see it. Only when the fight was over, did they leave the grounds.

"I've seen that rage before, Sonya," Jax said. "Usually when it involves Kano or anything Black-Dragon related. I'm surprised to see you direct it at Johnny Cage."

"I would say something along the lines of 'he had it coming,' but it was my fault," Sonya admitted. "You got questions about me and Cage, right?"

Jax nodded.

Sonya turned to Subzero and Smoke. "And it was Cage who directed you to me? Seek out the Special Forces to avoid being cyberized by the Lin Kuei?"

Subzero and Smoke exchanged glances. "How did you know...?"

Sonya sighed. "I guess it's time to come clean," she said as she reached into her pocket and pulled out two photos. She handed one to Jax, who looked at it, with Subzero and Smoke looking over his shoulders.

Sonya watched as the three looked at the photo. To say that they was shocked would be an understatement. The photo was that of herself, Johnny and Cassie, who had been thirteen at the time. The last picture she had taken with them as a family months before the divorce.

Sonya had carried it with her all of the time, unknown to Johnny and Cassie, as a reminder of what she had lost. She had been surprised to find out that it had survived the trip to the past.

"Our daughter, Cassandra," Sonya explained. "Yeah. Johnny and I hooked up, married, and divorced. Check the date on the back."

Jax flipped the photo over. "This is fifteen years from now."

Sonya nodded. "Yeah. Damn him...damn it all...he was right, Jax."

"About what?" Jax asked.

"Putting my career over my family. I know it's expected, as an officer of the military, but when I got promoted to Colonel...I began to spend more time on the base rather than with Johnny and Cassie. Days...weeks on end. Johnny was a fighter...but even he had enough." She wiped unshed tears from the back of her hand. "I never thought I'd signed the divorce papers fast enough. I just didn't know the price I would pay in becoming the first four-star-general in the family."

Jax looked at the picture. Then back at Sonya. After a minute of doing this, Sonya got annoyed. She snatched the photo out of Jax's hand and pocketed it.

"You're talking about things that has not happened," began Jax.

"...but will happen," Sonya said. "I know this is crazy, but this is the truth. I'm Sonya Blade, just from the future. Somehow, Johnny and I found ourselves in the past following a run-in with Shinnok."

"Shinnok?" parroted Jax.

"Fallen Elder God," Subzero explained. "Bi-Han told me about him. Had a job involving that amulet of his. Real piece of work."

Jax was still skeptical. Off Jax's look, Sonya then said something that made him pause. She had remembered that Vera had called him hours before the Outworld Invasion, with news of her pregnancy. "Vera will call you within the hour. She's pregnant."

Jax was about to say something when his phone rang. He retrieved it and looked at the caller ID. He looked at Sonya, who knew that it was Vera on the other end. Slowly, he pressed the button to accept the call. "Briggs...Vera, hey..." His eyes widened as he turned to Sonya. "Positive...are you sure? That's great, baby...look, I gotta run. We'll talk about names when I come back…love you too."

Jax ended the call and looked at Sonya in amazement. "How…?"

"Okay...now you're freaking me out," Smoke said.

Sonya snorted. "This coming from a guy with a smoke demon inside his gut."

Now Smoke was shocked. "You know about Enera?"

"I know many things," Sonya replied. She then handed them the second photo. The photo was that of Johnny's team: Cassie, Takeda, Kung Jin, and Jacqui. Both Johnny and Sonya were in the photo, albeit on opposite ends; Sonya unsmiling her arms folded across her chest, while Johnny flashed his charismatic smirk at the camera. Jax looked at Sonya's image. She looked older, and he could make out the rank of General on her uniform.

She handed to Jax without a word. Jax studied the face of the dark-skinned woman closely. "Is this..."

"Your daughter. Jacqueline Sonya Briggs. Jacqui for short. Both her and Cassie would become the best of friends," Sonya said, feeling a bit of sadness over her daughter, who did not exist just yet. Both would join the Special Forces under my command, but you were a bit overprotective of Jacqui."

"How so?"

"You refused to let her join, so she did so behind your back. Johnny broke the news to you, and you broke his jaw in response."

Smoke winced. "Ouch," he said.

"Don't see why I'd do that. I'd be all for it, Jacqui joining S.F. Just like her old man." He looked at the blonde girl. "This is your daughter?"

Sonya nodded. "Yeah. Cassandra Carlton Cage." Now the feeling of regret was creeping back over her. But Jax and the two Lin Kuei had to know. "Promise me that what I'm about to say...you tell no one else."

Jax, Subzero and Smoke nodded. And for the next couple of hours, Sonya told them everything. Everything from the Outworld Invasion, to their deaths at the hands of a rampaging Edenian Queen, to their time as revenants under Quan Chi and of Jax nearly killing Johnny Cage, to Subzero reforming the Lin Kuei, Jax's retirement and Sonya's ascension up the military hierarchy. She told him of her and Johnny's relationship, and the events leading up to their divorce, and of how Johnny had fought to the bitter end, but in the end, granted Sonya the divorce. Of how Johnny was given the task of training the next generation of kombatants.

"I finally realize that he didn't want to be the center of my attention," Sonya said. "He wanted only me. I had gotten what I wanted out of my career, Jax. But the price was too high. I never felt more alone in my entire life." She sniffed. "It's funny. Johnny has more than enough power to turn me into a red stain, but he was holding back."

"You're sure?" Subzero asked.

"I should know. I married the guy. He's descended from a Mediterranean war cult designed to bred fighters for the gods. Raiden told me this. Johnny even saved my life on several occasions, and he spent time in Seido to harness his powers."

"What was it like? Married to him?" Jax asked.

"He was very patient with me, willing to compromise when I wasn't. I always saw it as a weakness. It was all or nothing for me. His parents and sister approved of me, believing that I was a much better choice rather than his first wife. He was a fighter, too, taught me some extra moves. Despite his shallowness, he had a good heart, and he was a good father. With my promotion, I spent less and less time with him and Cass. I tried to defend myself, saying that it was responsibilities. Then I said I wanted the divorce, to 'find myself.'"

Jax snorted. "Usually, the guy does that. How did Cassie take it?"

"She resented me. But she only condoned me as her superior officer. I've hurt my daughter...and the man who ever loved me."

"Sounds like you still care for the guy," Subzero said.

"I do. I just...didn't know how to show it. I thought I did."

"Want to know how Vera and I work out, despite me being a Major and her a civilian?" Jax asked. "We compromise. We meet each other halfway. Marriage is about trust, not taking everything and not giving back to it." He placed a bionic hand on her shoulder. "Look...as crazy as this sounds, and if you say anything about this, then I'll blame it on the painkillers. You still love the guy despite your little brawl."

"I almost killed him, Jax."

"If Johnny's as tough as you say he is, then he should be okay. You need to talk to him, Sonya, and apologize."

"For what? For the broken ribs and the internal bleeding? Or for the fact that he was right about everything?"

"Both," Subzero said. "'True redemption is seized when you accept the consequences of your mistakes.' Step one is admitting that you royally fucked up with Johnny..."

"...and my future niece," added Jax.

"Step two is the hard part: telling him that you fucked up and admit responsibility," Subzero concluded. "Take it from soneone who's been there."

Sonya looked at Subzero. "You?"

The cryomancer nodded. "Me. I was engaged in the past. Her name was Lynn. But...I had to choose between her and the Lin Kuei. Guess how that turned out?"

Sonya sighed. Then she looked at the clock. "Well, it looks like I'll be seeing Cage soon enough."

"How so?"

Warning klaxons began to blare throughout the base. Jax, Subzero and Smoke looked around, each in defensive stances, while Sonya looked calm. She knew what was coming. 8:15 in the morning of April the 19th, was the day that Shao Kahn invaded Earthrealm.

"We're being invaded by Kahn and his forces," Sonya finished.

"Okay, you really need to stop doing that," Smoke said.

Seconds later, a bolt of lightning struck the ground and Raiden appeared. He was, however, surprised to see Subzero and Smoke there. "Kuai Liang. Tomas Vbrada. Sonya Blade. Jackson Briggs. Shao Kahn has invaded Earthrealm. I need your assistance."

Sonya said nothing as she nodded. Raiden opened a portal and Jax was the first to step through, followed by the two Lin Kuei who gave him the stink eye as he passed. Sonya passed Raiden, but was stopped when he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Will I have to worry about you in regards to Johnny Cage?" he asked.

"No. I'm fine," Sonya replied as she shrugged his hand off of her shoulder, and stepped through the portal, which blinked out of existence once Raiden himself stepped through.


	4. Redemption

**Part Four: Redemption**

Notes: I went back and cleaned up the grammar errors in the past chapters.

The Sancturary – 20 minutes before Sindel's arrival...

Johnny Cage sat up against the wall, far from Raiden and the others as they tried to plan their next move. As expected, Shao Kahn had invaded Earthrealm. And as expected, Johnny had a run-in with Motaro. Thankfully, Raiden was there to make the save by sending the Centaur into the river, drowning him.

But not before Motaro had killed Kung Lao. Johnny had warned him of his impending death at Shao Kahn's hands, and thus, was able to avoid it. But he died, protecting Johnny from the centaur.

Of course, that meant that now, Shao Kahn was now taking the kid gloves off. That meant sending Sindel - powered with Shang Tsung's soul and those he had consumed over the years - to their base of operations. The deadly housecall ended with only him and Sonya surviving. No way was Johnny going to let that happen again.

Meanwhile, Sonya watched him from the corner of her eye. She couldn't tell whether or not her ex-husband was looking at her, due to his shades covering his eyes.

Sonya was able to convince Jax that she was from the future by describing the Outworld Invasion in great detail, not to mention his impending fatherhood. Jacqui had been born when Jax was a revenant in Quan Chi's service. Sonya would make sure that Jax would live to see his daughter born.

"You need to go and talk to him," Jax whispered.

"I know. I just don't know how to do it," Sonya whispered back. "You didn't see the look in his eyes, Jax. He hates me."

"After you tried to beat him to death, I wouldn't blame him. Sonya, go and talk to him. If you admit your faults, he might forgive you. Don't make me order you to do it, Lieutenant," added Jax as a threat.

Sonya sighed. Signing the divorce papers was the easiest thing she had ever done. Admitting that she had been wrong about everything was the hardest. But she steeled herself - if ever so slightly, and walked over to her husband, who hadn't moved from his place.

Sonya stood over her ex-husband, hoping to get some sort of reaction or acknowledgment from him. There was none. He didn't even look up. Because he had his shades on, she really couldn't tell. Sighing, the future general hunkered down and sat beside him. Johnny still didn't move.

"I cried myself to sleep the first three nights after I signed the divorce papers," Sonya said in a soft tone.

Johnny said nothing. Only when Sonya started to stand, did Johnny reply. "The first night after I signed the divorce papers...my sister took me to the emergency room after I broke three of my fingers from punching the wall."

Sonya sat back down. At least Johnny was speaking to her again. For Sonya, it was a start, as this was the first time that he had spoken to her since their brawl at the Wu Shi Academy.

"It wasn't easy. The divorce," Sonya continued. "I buried myself in my work so much that no sane man would ever consider dating me."

"Because you were too stubborn, hard-headed and unwilling to compromise?"

Without hesitation on her end, Sonya replied, "Yes. It was probably easier for you. You probably had women fighting each other just to be the next Mrs. Cage."

Johnny shrugged his shoulders. "I dated after we split. Nothing came out of it. Every single woman had the same problem, of which Cass was eager to point out."

"What's that?" asked Sonya.

"They weren't you," was the reply.

Sonya smiled at that. He still carried a torch for her. That was one thing she had loved about Johnny – his fidelity to her. He had treated her not like a trophy wife like most rich men, but rather an equal, which was surprising in the film industry. She had accompanied him to several premieres, and she hated it. Surprisingly enough, Johnny did as well.

"You know what our daughter said about you?" Johnny asked. "She said you were a hard woman, both to know and to please. That you were like a closed book. She complained about it all the time. She signed on to the military, hoping to get your attention after we had split. But when you didn't show for either her high school graduation or her boot camp graduation, she thought that you didn't care."

"I did care. I just didn't know how to show it," Sonya replied. She bit her lip. "The same with you. It was easier to blame you for what had happened to us instead of taking responsibility not only for what I had done to the both of you, but also my own mistakes. When we were in Outworld looking for Cassie and Jacqui, I berated you for not taking enough responsibility. Now...I see that despite everything, the irresponsible one was **me**."

That caught Johnny by surprise. He looked at Sonya. She did not look at him. Had she looked at him, he would see the look of shock on her face. Sonya Blade was admitting her faults?

"I never thought that eating crow would be so hard...but you were right, Cage. You were right about me. I did put my job before our family. I let my own ambitions destroy our marriage. I paid for it and then some. I'm sorry...for everything." She bit her lip. "But most of all, I'm sorry about how I treated Cassie."

Sonya could never lie worth a damn. This Johnny knew. Either she was telling the truth, or the Netherrealm had just turned into a frozen wasteland and Shinnok was freezing his balls off. But she was trying.

"She wanted Sonya Blade, the mother, not General Blade, the hardass," Johnny replied. "She once told me that despite being able to fight her way out of anything, she felt like a second-rate Cage."

"I know. I was too demanding of her. I realize that now. I can strip down a Beretta nine-mil in less than a minute, yet when it comes to being a parent...well, quoting you, I wasn't 'Mom of the Year.'"

"She told me about how you offered her a commission in the military, an attempt to get back in her good graces," Johnny said.

"Cassie refused. She saw the commission for what it was – a bribe. She was right about that. I had missed out so much on her life, burned bridges with her, and I wanted to force my way back in. I was being selfish."

Again, the former couple was silent. "What do you want, Sonya?" the action star asked.

"Forgiveness. Redemption. Absolution. Whichever comes first, from you. I had a lot of time to think about us after being captured and during Jax's operation." She looked down and saw that her hand was dangerously close to Johnny's own.

Johnny looked down and saw that Sonya had gently grabbed his hand, interlacing their fingers together.

"The difference between the three is that you ask for one, but you earn the other two," Johnny said.

"I should had tried harder. You were so patient, but you felt like that it would be best to let me go."

"I'm sorry too," the actor replied. "I should had fought harder rather than to grant you the divorce. I was angry at the time."

"Looks like we both are full of regrets," Sonya said. She wiped her face with her other hand. "I hurt you and Cassie. I honestly don't know why I wasted so much time pretending that I didn't care about you. But now...I guess I just...I just didn't want to feel like this."

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Johnny asked.

"You have no idea, Johnny. It felt like something being ripped out of me. I was able to bury it...until now. You think if we survive this, that you can give me another chance?"

Johnny looked at her. Then he began to chuckle.

Sonya looked at him, a puzzled look on her face. "What? What's so funny?"

"You called me 'Johnny.' You usually address me as John, Mr. Cage, or Asshole." Sonya felt his hand give hers a squeeze. "You really want to have another go with me, Sonya? Round Two as Mrs. Cage?"

"I'm still keeping my last name, Johnny. At least now I know what to expect. And this time," Sonya's eyes lit up with determination, "I'm not letting you go."

"I've forgiven you a long time ago, Sonya."

"So why the fight at the Shaolin Temple?"

"That was unexpected. I was trying to show you that you were just as big a screw-up as I was. Judging from the internal bleeding and the broken ribs, I'd say that plan went horribly right. This time around, you're seeing that shrink I recommended."

"I thought as much. You scared the shit out of me with that stunt, Johnny. But it worked."

"Not the first time I almost died, remember?" He stood up. "I've forgiven you, Sonya. That was the easy part." He looked over to Raiden, who was bemoaning about his amulet, as it endured several more cracks in the surface. "Now comes the redemption."

Sonya was puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Sindel's on her way here."

Sonya cursed. She had been so absorbed in her self-pity and seal-loathing that she had completely forgotten about that. Now, she and Johnny had the chance to make things right.

Johnny walked over to the thunder god, who was standing alongside Liu Kang. "Lord Raiden?"

Raiden turned around. He was surprised to see the action star and the blonde lieutenant standing side-by-side. The last time they were together, they tried to kill each other. "Johnny Cage. Sonya Blade. What business do you have with me?"

"There's something you need to know," Sonya replied. "Sindel is on her way here."

"My mother?" Kitana's voice piped up upon hearing her mother's name. She walked over to the reconciled couple and the others. "What do you know of my mother? Why is she coming here?"

"Sindel killed herself in order for her soul to act as a barrier against Shao Kahn's attempts to invade Earthrealm," Sonya explained. "Quan Chi revived her, and twisted her mind into serving Shao Kahn. By doing so, it weakened the barrier, allowing Shao Kahn to invade."

Raiden's eyes showed surprise. Then they narrowed slightly. "How do you know this?" he asked.

"We'll explain everything later," Johnny said. "Sindel's not coming alone. She's bringing some serious backup with her – a squad of Lin Kuei cyberninjas led by Sektor. They will attack shortly after both you and Liu here will leave for a sit-down with the Elder Gods."

"I do not have time for your games, Cage," Raiden replied. "And I expect better from you, Sonya."

In desperation, Sonya shouted, "If you don't listen to us, then the majority of your warriors will die here!"

Sonya's outburst had caused everyone to look at her as if she had lost her mind. Fortunately, Nightwolf made the save. "It's true, Haokah. Johnny allowed me to perform a mind-walk into his memories. What both Johnny and Sonya says is true. Sindel will kill us all save for him and Lieutenant Blade. I myself will die in stopping her."

"No..." Kitana shook her head in denial. "My mother would no do such a thing!"

"When you're resurrected by Quan Chi and strengthened by Shang Tsung's souls, you'd think otherwise, Princess," Johnny replied in a sympathetic tone. "I'm sorry, Kitana, but your mother is beyond redemption."

"We can prove it," Sonya continued. "Johnny and I will tell each of you how you will die, and you can search my own memories as proof, Raiden. In fact, show them to everyone here." She turned to the others. "Sindel will destroy your respirator, Kabal, killing you. Jax, she will impale you in the throat with her heel. Subzero will die in three blows."

"Smoke will get his neck broken by her," Johnny continued, "Stryker will have his head caved in. Jade will have her stomach ripped out from her body. And Kitana will be beaten down and part of her soul will be ripped from her body. You will die in Liu's arms. Nightwolf will sacrifice himself in order to stop Sindel."

The others were visibly disturbed as to how Sonya and Johnny described their fates.

Then Raiden stepped forward and placed a hand on Sonya's forehead. He closed his eyes and concentrated. The sanctuary shimmered as Raiden used his powers to expand the memories of Sonya, showing them what he was seeing.

They watched as the Lin Kuei attacked the temple, only to be repelled. Then Sindel arrived, challenging the Warriors of Light.

 _"Come forward, if you dare! I will finish what the Lin Kuei could not."_

And the slaughter began. Just as how Sonya and Johnny had described, the kombatants died in the manner that the action star and the blond lieutenant had described. They watched as Kitana, mortally wounded, plead with her mother.

 _"Mother, please!"_

 _"I am no longer your mother."_

 _"Mother, this is not your way. Shao Kahn has corrupted you!"_

 _"Shao Kahn has resurrected me! You have betrayed him. Embraced a pathetic cause."_

 _"Remember Edenia, mother. Remember your rule before Shao Kahn's invasion!"_

 _"Quiet, child. It is time for you to join your friends._ "

They watched as Nightwolf took the fight to Sindel. He had won, but Sindel would not be denied. As Nightwolf began to chant an incantation that would destroy Sindel, she ensnared him with her hair, and lifted him into the air.

 _"Victory is mine, Shaman!"_

 _"Not if I... **take** it from you!"_

Both Nightwolf and Sindel vanished in a pillar of white light, with Raiden and Liu returning just in time to see Nightwolf and Sindel die.

They watched as Kitana died in Liu's arms.

 _"Kitana!"_

 _"Liu...Kang..."_

 _"Kitana! Hold on!"_

 _"You...you were...right, Liu Kang. Like you...I, too wished...that we could have met...under...more pleasant...circum...stan...ces..."_

Almost immediately, Raiden broke the link. He and the others were back inside the sanctuary. He stumbled several steps back, looking at both Johnny and Sonya in shock. "By the Elder Gods..." he gasped. He looked at both Johnny and Sonya. "It's true...all of it." He looked at Subzero. "But in your memories...Subzero was a cyberninja."

"That was my doing," Johnny said. "You sold Subzero out to the Lin Kuei, but saved Smoke. I convinced them to leave Outworld with Sonya and Jax before you could do so."

Kitana and the others were visibly disturbed as to what they had witnessed. It had felt so real.

"It gets worse," Sonya said. "Shao Kahn brokered a deal with Quan Chi for Netherrealm's backing in the invasion. Those who die at Sindel's hands will have their souls taken by Quan Chi and transformed into revenants. By the time you find out that Shao Kahn must be allowed to merge the realms in order for the Elder Gods to intervene."

Johnny saw it as his cue and turned to Liu. "Their deaths will cause you lose faith in Raiden. You will lash out, and you will kill him in self-defense. He will die, cursing your name, and join the others in Quan Chi's service."

"That's also true," Nightwolf said. "Johnny allowed me to perform a mind walk into his mind. Everything he said was true."

"And you didn't come to me with this information?" Raiden asked.

"With due respect, Haokah, you would have made things worse," the shaman replied.

"The visions you're experiencing, Raiden? They are from you in the future. But you were unable to properly see what they truly are: a warning."

"How do you know all of this?" Jade asked.

"Because Sonya and I are from the future. Twenty-five years from now," Johnny replied. "Married, got a kid, divorced, had a run-in with Shinnok and somehow found ourselves in the past, thanks to said Elder Gods. Long story short, the invasion itself is not a violation."

"Merging the realms without winning Mortal Kombat is," Sonya finished. "To do so without the Elder Gods' approval is an instant death sentence."

The sanctuary was silent for a moment. "Wait-wait-wait, go back," Stryker said. "Are you saying that Shao Kahn has to win?"

"As in the same guy who looks like a bodybuilder with the skull helmet and wielding that oversized mallet?" Johnny said. "Yeah. That guy."

Raiden palmed his face. "How did I not see this? 'He must win' is Shao Kahn."

"You can kick yourself later, Raiden," Sonya said. She looked at her watch. "We got less than five minutes before Sindel arrives. And I, for one, don't wish to see them die again."

Raiden nodded. "What do you have planned?"

"Well..." Johnny began...

Five minutes later...

As expected, following the Forces of Light dispatching the Lin Kuei cyber-ninjas (with Subzero dismantling Sektor), Sindel made her appearance.

Just as Johnny and Sonya remembered, her sonic scream heralded her arrival.

"Come forward, if you dare!" Sindel taunted. "I will finish what the Lin Kuei could not."

She would come to regret those words as Raiden appeared in a bolt of lightning. " **I** dare," he said, raising his hands.

Before Sindel could react, lightning shot forth from Raiden's hands, and encircled Sindel, electrocuting her, the force of the blast sending her flying across the sanctuary and into the far wall. Sindel may had been empowered by the souls of Shang Tsung and those he had consumed in the past, but even she could not withstand the full fury of a thunder god.

Raiden was not taking any chances. Not after what he had seen. After three minutes of non-stop electrocution, he stopped, and a smoking Sindel fell to the floor. As he moved in to finish her, he stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"No, Lord Raiden," Kitana said, her voice grave. "She is my mother. My responsibility."

Raiden looked at her, and nodded.

Kitana stepped forward. "Mother...please...don't make me do this," she said, holding out some hope that her mother was still there inside.

"I...am your mother no longer," Sindel hissed through the pain.

"This is not your way," Kitana pleaded. "Shao Kahn has corrupted you."

"Corrupted me? He has resurrected me! It is you who is the corrupter! Betrayed him and embraced a pathetic cause!"

Kitana's shoulders slumped. "Then you leave me no choice. Subzero...Jade...hold her down."

Within moments, Sindel was hauled to her feet, arms restrained by her longtime friend and the renegade Lin Kuei. A rabbit punch to the throat from Kitana had silenced Sindel from using her ear-splitting scream. The lightning blast from Raiden had weakened her, leaving the resurrected Edenian queen at her daughter's mercy.

Tears unshed in her eyes, Kitana brandished one of her bladed fans. With a whisper of "Goodbye, Mother," Kitana decapitated Sindel. She did not even want to see her mother's body drop. She dropped her fan and walked away from the sight.

Liu was there, embracing her, consoling her as Kitana sobbed into his chest. Raiden and Nightwolf then destroyed Sindel's body and head, leaving no trace behind. For Johnny and Sonya, Sindel's death before she could murder the other kombatants meant that Earthrealm would be in a much better position when the Netherrealm War came about two years from now.

By that time, Sonya and Johnny would be ready, as would Raiden's chosen warriors.


	5. Absolution

**Epilogue: Absolution**

Snafu's Notes: Originally, I was going to give Sonya the Christmas Carol treatment, but decided against it. When I saw the Lin vs Suyin fight, the idea was revised and became this story.

Johnny Cage's condo - one week after Shao Kahn's death.

It was like a homecoming of sorts for Sonya.

It felt strange to her, being back in the condo she had once made her home in the years she had been married to Johnny. When Johnny had first invited her to his home, she had expected a multi-million dollar mansion. Instead, he lived in a three-story building he had owned and converted in Venice Beach, his 'man-cave' as he called it, complete with a view of the beach and the Pacific Ocean.

The building was twice as big as the lofts seen in Los Angeles. The first floor had been converted into a garage, the windows bricked over and sealed with steel and concrete, and big enough for Johnny to have five cars inside. Sonya liked the garage. Seeing as how both her and Johnny had a passion for classic American cars, they had spent hours there, paying with either her bike or his restored '77 Barracuda. Their love for classic cars had been seen in Cassie, as she occasionally tore up the streets of the base in her own classic ride Johnny had bought her for her Sweet 16.

Nightwolf and Raiden had spent several hours in the garage, placing several wards in there. The wards would keep anyone who wanted to enter via portal from the Netherrealm or from Outworld (save from their allies) access in order to cause harm on them.

The second floor was the living space. Five bedrooms, three-and-a-half bedrooms, the master bedroom soundproofed. Sonya had been grateful for the soundproofed bedroom, as Johnny occasionally had his agent and secretary over for several late night meetings. She would request that Cassie's room also be soundproofed as well.

The third floor was his workout room, complete with weights, punching bags, a weapons rack, and a boxing ring in the middle of the area. Even Jax was impressed with Johnny's setup. Sonya and Johnny spent many a time training Cassie there...before the divorce.

After bouncing around various military bases for most of her life, it was the closest she would ever consider calling the place home. And now, for Sonya, it was home once again.

There was no victory party following Shao Kahn's demise. There was so much to be done before Shinnok's Invasion, which would not take place for another two years. There was only the somber ceremony at Raiden's Sky Temple honoring the dead Shaolin, those who had died during the invasion, and Kung Lao. Johnny had hoped that they would revive him when the time came.

The Outworld Invasion was still on everyone's minds. Those tho thought that Earthrealm was alone had a rude awakening. And once it became known that Johnny Cage was caught right smack in the middle of the invasion, that sent all of Tinseltown into a media frenzy.

Fortunately, Sonya and Jax had performed damage control. The official story was that Johnny was scouting the city as a potential location for his next film when the invasion began, and he was gang-pressed into defending Earthrealm. At the moment, he was recovering at an unknown location from his injuries.

Johnny's agent had been irate. Only a threat of a visit to the 'federal bed-and-breakfast' from Jax had shut Chuck up and willed him into compliance.

While Jax went back home to Vera, Sonya had chosen to stay with Johnny. For the past couple of days, Johnny and Sonya had talked, clearing the air between them, over what had happened to them in the twelve years following their divorce over cartons of take-out Chinese (Johnny had given the delivery boy a healthy tip to ensure his silence, as no one knew he was back in Venice Beach).

For Sonya, it actually felt good, getting everything off her chest. She had been keeping it inside for so very long. She knew she had trust issues, stemming from the death of her former partner and those with Johnny.

But Johnny was patient with her. That was probably one of his more endearing traits that Sonya found admirable. She even considered the thought of resigning her commission from the military, just as Jax had done following the Netherrealm War. But Johnny stopped her.

"The military is your life, Sonya. I can't take that from you. If you resigned, then you would be miserable. The military is what made you...well, you."

While Johnny slept in his - now their - bed, Sonya took the time out to get her bearings around the place, remembering the good times she and Johnny shared as a couple, and as parents.

Johnny doting on her following Cassie's birth...

"I'm not dead yet, Johnny. You don't need to baby me."

"Forget it, Major. This is probably the only time I have you at my mercy, and I am going to enjoy it."

Sonya smiled as another memory came to her mind. She was stretched out on the couch, reading a book while baby Cassie was crawling on hands and knees. Johnny followed her, save that he was walking on her hands.

Then Sonya noticed the item on the living room couch. A duffel bag. Johnny had brought it back with them following the ceremony at the Sky Temple. Johnny had been silent as to what was inside, but promised to reveal it to her in due time.

She stopped in front of one of the guest rooms and stood in the doorway. The guest room in question was what to become Cassandra's bedroom. Sonya remembered all the times before the divorce, back when she was actually a good mother to Cassie. Listening to Cassie tell her about her day in school...reading her bedtime stories...taking care of her when she was sick...

That feeling of regret came back to haunt her, as she remembered how she had treated her afterward when Cass had refused her 'bribe.'

"Sonya?"

She didn't turn her head upon hearing Johnny's voice, but she heard him. There was one question on her mind that she needed answered from Johnny. "How did you do it?" she asked.

Johnny was puzzled. "Do what?"

"How did you convince Secretary Blake to allow you to train Cassie's team?"

"I volunteered."

Sonya looked at him.

"He called me in for a meeting and told me his idea. It had been a while since I've seen Cass since she had been deployed. I volunteered, if only to see her again."

"And what about me?" Sonya asked, obviously insulted.

"Honestly, you were a harpy bitch with the rank of Colonel," Johnny replied. "And you'd gotten worse when you made General."

Sonya gave him the stink eye, until she remembered all the times she had treated Johnny like crap. Particularly the time when she found out that Kano was inside the refugee camp.

 _"I'm going to the refugee camp. I gotta get to him before he finds a way out."_

 _"I'll come with."_

 _"No. Go and get an update on camp security from Colonel Flagg."_

 _"Why?"_

 _"So that way, you won't be here, Mr. Cage."_

That shot Sonya down. Johnny was right about that one. "Oh. Right." She turned back to the room. "That day back at the Shaolin Temple...when you told me that line about Cassie crying herself to sleep...?"

"All true," Johnny said. "After a while, she stopped crying. The loneliness soon turned to resentment."

Sonya felt another stab of regret. But after what she had been through in the past couple of weeks, it wasn't as bad. But it still stung.

"I saw it in her eyes. The resentment," Sonya said. "She would speak of you with pride, but showed nothing but contempt towards me. It was one of the reasons why she chose to enlist and not pursue a commission." She sighed. "When Blake tapped you for the responsibility of training Cass and the others, it was a slap to the face. I voiced my opinion, saying that you were not qualified to lead Cassie's team. I felt that it was my right to do so. Only when Blake demanded my General's stars and my resignation, did I back off.

"In all honesty," continued Sonya, "I wanted you to fail. I wanted you to fail so bad that it would allow me to take back control of the group and to get rid of you. When you succeeded, it only made me even more angry. Then again, you did beat Shinnok. I watched you from a distance as you worked with the others, you know. I saw how happy Cass was and I wanted her to laugh and joke with me as she did with you."

Johnny placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's easier now, isn't it? Admitting responsibility for your own actions?"

"Doesn't leave a good taste in my mouth, admitting that you were right all along. But the guilt is gone. Replaced by pity." She reached up and placed her hand on his. "I idolized my father, you know. The heroic Major Blade. I wanted to be like him, to be even better than him. I just didn't know how many people I ended up hurting in order to do so. It was before Shao Kahn had invaded, did I see the truth. I wanted to be like my dad. But I never could be. I was...holding on to a false perception of myself. I'm not my dad, nor should I be."

"You're not Herman Blade," Johnny said. "You're Sonya Blade. The difference is more than obvious."

"The old you would have probably said, 'I told you so, Sonya.'"

"I would have. But you'd still deny that I was right."

"Was I a good mother to Cassandra?"

"You had your moments," Johnny replied. "Despite how things had ended the first time between us, you cared, in your own way."

"Then why do I still feel miserable, Johnny?"

"No other mother would go the lengths you'd done to see that Cassie was safe," Johnny said. "When the Black Dragon kidnapped her and Jacqui, you were more than willing to turn Outworld upside-down to find them both. Had the roles been reversed, then I would do the same. And when Kano threatened Cassie..." he let that hang.

Sonya closed her eyes in shame as she confessed another one of her past misdeeds. "When Cassie rejected my offer...my 'bribe,' it was like a slap in the face. At that moment, I saw her in you. I couldn't let her disrespect go unanswered. My reputation was at stake. So I put her through a month of Hell. Suicides, burpees, running nine miles with a backpack full of rocks. You name it, she did it. I wanted to break her, Johnny. But she took everything I threw at her. I tried to break her and I failed. I even went as far as to block her promotion to Staff Sergeant several times. If she had requested a transfer, I would had denied it if I had the chance. Then I overheard her and Jacqui talking. Cassie was talking about letting her enlistment expire and she would sign on somewhere else, far away from me and my influence. I've seen the job offers she had been sent. She could have done anything she wanted."

"Cassie told me that."

Sonya spun around. "She did?" Sonya had expected Johnny to be upset. Instead, he looked amused.

"Now we come to a part of the story where I have some information to share," Johnny said. "When Cass told me that she wanted to go into the military...that summer before her senior year, I took her to Seido to train under Master Hotaru for a month."

Now Sonya had a look of understanding. She had accompanied Johnny to Seido when his powers had begun to go nuts. Raiden had sent him there in order to learn control. Suffice to say, Seidan basic training was brutal. So much so, it put the Special Forces' training to shame. When she returned to Earthrealm, she stayed in bed for a week. No wonder Cass was so tough, aside from inheriting Johnny's warrior bloodline and her tenacity.

"What can I say?" Johnny said, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm very thorough when I train."

That much was true, Sonya admitted. When Johnny trained Cassie's group, he liked to get down and dirty. Even more, he down there in the trenches with them, training with them, sparring with them. Through his unorthodox and sometimes questionable teachings, he made them a formidable team.

Sonya shook her head and she chuckled. "Unbelievable. I should have seen that coming."

Johnny's expression then grew serious. "Before we left Raiden's Sky Temple, Liu brought me to the side. He told me he's heading for Outworld."

"Outworld? Why? Isn't he Raiden's champion?"

"His faith in Raiden is shaken, not destroyed like the last time," the actor replied. "So he's taken up Kitana's offer to be her Royal Consort, while she takes over as Kahnum of Outworld. Liu spoke with Raiden over it and has named me his successor. Once again, I'm Raiden's golden boy."

"And you'll do a good job in protecting Earthrealm," Sonya said. Her expression fell once again. "You know that the E.S.D. will be based out of the Mojave, right?"

"I know."

"And you know that Jax will most likely take my old post, right?"

"Of course, with you as his second-in-command." He silenced Sonya with a finger to her lips. "I know what you're going to say. Come with me. I wanna show you something."

Sonya had been wondering what was inside that duffel bag. Her curiosity had been answered when Johnny grabbed it, opened it and began to place its contents on the dining room table.

Cybernetic arms and forearms, complete with small wrist computers. Arms once belonging to the Lin Kuei's cyber-ninjas.

"The Snowman sends his regards," Johnny said as Sonya picked up an arm and looked it over. "Subzero handed this to me before we left Raiden's Sky Temple. Said that the tech guys at Special Forces would have a field day over this stuff."

Sonya had a puzzled look on her face. Then the bewilderment soon changed to one of joy as she recognized what the items were. It had taken Special Forces ten years alone to learn how to open portals using science rather than magic. Now, it would take them even less time to do it now with the ultimate advancements in Lin Kuei technology in their posession. Sonya knew that Jax was a techie, and that he would shit a brick upon finding out that Subzero had handed over choice pieces of Lin Kuei tech.

So Sonya did the one thing that came to her mind. She dropped the tech and tackled Johnny to the ground. Unlike the last time, when she tried to strangle him to death, she instead kissed him. The first kiss they shared in over a decade. Not that Johnny was complaining, as he kissed her back.

After a moment of tonsil hockey, the couple broke off from lack of oxygen.

"I guess this means we're officially back together, huh?" Johnny asked with a wry grin on his face.

"Shut up, Cage," Sonya replied.

Johnny grinned. "If I knew tech would make you this hot, I wonder what would happen if I bought you a Desert Eagle for your birthday?"

"Do that and find out."

"On second thought...consider it a wedding gift from me." Johnny paused for a moment. "So...when do you want to get hitched?"

"How about three weeks from now?"

"Courtroom wedding or...?" Johnny already knew the answer.

"Courtroom, of course. We can hold the reception here. And those three weeks will be more than enough time to create a cover story for your parents."

"Anything else?" Johnny asked.

Sonya said nothing as she kissed him again. Making up, Johnny realized, was very fun to do. And He and Sonya had to play catchup for those missing twelve years.

* * *

Raiden's Sky Temple - The Jinsei Chamber, 25 years later...

This was not John Carlton's day, let alone his finest hour.

But despite being kidnapped, brought to Raiden's Sky Temple, trapped in a cocoon and tortured by a bug lady who had her maggots eat away at his face, followed by sustaining several energy blasts from a super-powered fallen Elder God who hated his guts with a passion, he could not be any more prouder of his team, most of all his daughters, who Johnny watched wiped the floor with Shinnok.

That's right. Daughters. Identical twin daughters.

He managed to crane his head and watched as Cassie and her twin sister took the fight to Shinnok's corrupted form. Cassie's body was coated in green shadow energy, while the twin's body was covered in crimson. While Cassie was in the bodysuit which served as her Special Forces uniform, complete with holstered pistols at her back, the twin had on a black tanktop, black cargo pants and a pair of their mother's combat boots. Strapped to her back, were a pair of kukri knives, about the length of a machete. While both were born with Sonya's blonde hair, the twin had dyed it racecar red when she was a senior in high school. At least that made it easier for Johnny and Sonya to tell them apart. Her hands were wrapped with boxing tape. Like her twin, she wore her hair short (ala Sam Byrne's style), whenever it wasn't in a ponytail.

While Cassandra Cage chose the military as a career, Alexandra Cage followed in her father's footsteps and became an actress. However, Johnny did not allow her to act when she was a child. While some did go on to have successful film careers in their adult years, Johnny saw how the film industry had burned out some child actors and actresses, which led to drug problems and erratic behavior.

As Sonya groomed Cassie for the military, Johnny had signed Alex up for acting classes. When it came to martial arts, both girls learned from the best. Aside from their parents, Alex and Cass were also mentored under Jax, who trained them alongside Jacqui, not to mention he enjoyed playing uncle to Johnny and Sonya's little girls.

In an ironic twist, Alex used her mother's surname as her stage name. Thus, Alex Blade was born. Her film debut had all but shot her to superstar status. But she remained humble about her success.

Speaking of Jax, he was now in command of the Special Forces' Earthrealm Strategic Defense, with the rank of General. Sonya was his second-in-command, with the rank of Major General. For Sonya, she was content with the rank. With Jax in command of the E.S.D., it also meant that Johnny and Sonya's marriage was much more stable than it had been in the past. The shrink that Johnny had sent her to had helped with Sonya's issues, and she came out a better person for it. Sure they had their arguments, but they did not once spoke about divorce. As the E.S.D.'s base was out in the Mojave, it did present a challenge for Sonya, who once again, made her home in Venice Beach.

Fortunately, Subzero had the solution. Upon seizing control of the Lin Kuei, he had handed over some of the Lin Kuei's tech to the Special Forces for study. As it turned out, the Lin Kuei had discovered how to create portals using technology and science rather than magic. Thus, Sonya was able to travel to-and-from work, and still be home in time for supper. Subzero, with Smoke as his second-in-command, turned the Lin Kuei into a force of good.

Another addition to the Lin Kuei was Sareena, the former Netherrealm demon, now human thanks to the Elder Gods. She trained the female Lin Kuei. It was no surprise that both her and Kuai Liang would now become a couple, with a child of their own.

Aside from Sonya and Jax, Kurtis Stryker and Kabal had signed on for the Special Forces alongside Kenshi. Cassie had occasionally butted heads with Stryker, but the supercop-turned-operative was another of the Cage twins' mentors. While Cassie preferred firearms, Alex used bladed weapons, which is where Kabal came in. While Alex did not go for the hookswords, she did become skilled in wielding the kukri knives, which became her signature weapon.

This did not go unnoticed by Scorpion. Wait, he didn't go by Scorpion anymore. He was Hanzo Hasashi. When it was discovered that Alex was a prodigy in bladed weapons, Hanzo mentored her in armed kombat, saying that her skills rivaled that of his own skills with the kunai. Not only that, but there was a friendly rivalry between her and Kenshi's son, Takeda.

It was during their freshman year in high school when both Cassie and Jacqui approached their respective parents over the thought of going into the military. Sonya, Johnny, Jax and Vera had a sit-down with both Cassie and Jacqui, and after talking it over for several hours, agreed on a course of action. In the end, Cassie and Jacqui didn't enlist, but rather accepted scholarships to West Point. Rather than becoming Sergeant Cassandra Cage and Specialist Jacqueline Briggs, they were Lieutenants Cage and Briggs. Sonya had gotten what she had wanted, but she went about it the right way.

When Secretary Blake asked Special Forces to form a new team, Cassie and Jacqui volunteered, as did Alex, despite her not being either military or Special Forces. Kung Jin and Takeda also volunteered, as expected. This time around both Johnny and Sonya were given the task to train their charges.

With Nightwolf alive and well, one of Johnny's little side trips was to Nightwolf's home in the South Dakota badlands, where he had helped Johnny's young charges into getting in touch with their spiritual sides. The shaman was like another uncle to the next generation of kombatants.

With Kitana now as Kahnum of Outworld, Ko'atal did not ascend to the throne. She did appointed the Osh-Tekk as her First Minister and General of Outworld's Armies. With Ko'atal alive, it also meant that the Osh-Tekk survived as well. Only after crushing the Shokan-Oni uprising did Kitana add 'Kahn' to her name. Although she was unable to free Edenia from Outworld, Kitana Kahn ruled Outworld with a fair and just hand. She even pardoned Reptile, and made him her spymaster.

She and Liu had three children; a son and two daughters. But despite their happiness, there was tragedy. When Mileena had escaped from her prison, she had killed the youngest daughter and Jade. Kitana swore revenge. When Mileena was finally brought to justice, it was Kitana who had done the job herself.

Of course, despite knowing what was going to happen in the next two-and-a-half decades, it didn't mean that not everything went to plan. During the Netherrealm War, it had been Sonya, not Johnny, who had been mortally wounded by a revenant Sindel, and it had been Johnny who had beaten down Quan Chi in order to save her life. And of course, Alex was kidnapped alongside Cassie and Jacqui. But this time, however, rather than the detour through Outworld, Johnny, Jax and Sonya headed straight for Shang Tsung's Island, where they showed Havik, Skarlet and Reiko that kidnapping their children was a bad idea.

Kano was dead. After spilling his guts in regards to Shinnok's amulet, he tried to gut Johnny from behind. That earned him a double whammy in the form of a double headshot from Johnny and Sonya, thus ending the decades-long rivalry once and for all, and bringing Sonya closure.

And then, there was Shinnok himself, having been freed from his prison by Quan Chi, he first killed the necromancer, as he correctly assumed that Quan Chi would betray him down the line. Hanzo had been robbed of his chance of vengeance, but he did receive closure with Quan Chi's demise.

Johnny did warn Kitana of D'vorah, but the bug lady was more crafty than expected. She once again succeeded in stealing Shinnok's amulet and was instrumental in his release. And once again, Johnny was stuck in a resin cocoon, his face mangled by maggots, and weakened by repeated energy blasts from Shinnok.

Oh, the irony, Johnny realized, that Shinnok got his ass handed to him once again by a Cage. Two of them, in fact. Had he not been in pain, he would had been laughing his ass off over that fact.

After beating down Shinnok and allowing Raiden to cleanse the Jinsei, the Cage siblings and Kung Jun pulled him out and rested the weakened thunder god up against a pillar.

"How is he? Is he alive?" he heard Cassie ask Kung Jin, after she, Alex and Kung Jin had pulled Raiden out of the Jinsei, the thunder god having cleansed it from Shinnok's corruption.

"Barely," Jin had replied. "I'll help him. You two help your father."

Within seconds, Cassie and Alex was at their father's side. "Dad?" Alex began.

Johnny groaned. "I don't feel so hot." He turned his head and looked at his daughters. "And to think...I was worried when the both of you started dating..."

Cassie grinned. "Afraid we'd come home with someone like you?" she asked.

"My warrior princesses. Funny...and beautiful. And they both saved the world," their father quipped. "Yeah...my work here is done. Now get me out of this damn thing."

After several tries, Cassie had to resort to using her baton to begin smashing the resin which trapped her father in place. She was able to get her dad's shoulder free when backup arrived in the form of several heavily-armed soldiers, led by their mother. Their 'Uncle Jax' was probably outside fussing over Jacqui.

"Secure the perimeter!" Sonya ordered. "Isolate Shinnok and D'vorah! And bring the medic!"

But as she took a step forward, she snapped her head back towards her men when she heard the scream to fall back. Three of her men were on the ground, bleeding from fist-sized holes in their chests and torsos, and three more were slammed to the side from D'vorah's extended stingers.

Sonya did not hesitate. She rolled out of the way of D'vorah's stingers, and fired a single shot. The .50 caliber Action Express made a perfect entry wound into the Kytinn's head, but left a fist-sized exit wound in the back. D'vorah was dead before she hit the ground.

Sonya walked over to D'vorah and promptly emptied her remaining clip into the bug woman's head. Then she picked up Shinnok's Amulet and tossed it to Kung Jin before running over to her husband and daughters.

"Overkill much, babe?" Johnny quipped as several medics tended to the soldier's injuries.

"Shut up, you," Sonya replied. She looked at her husband. "You look terrible."

"You have no idea, woman."

"Help is on the way," Sonya said. "We'll fix you up."

"You shoulda seen Alex and Cass," Johnny said, with pride in his voice. "They both wiped the floor with Shinnok."

Sonya smiled as she looked at both Cassie and Alex. "I believe it." She turned to Johnny. "As for you...you did a great job with your team."

Johnny returned the smile. "No. We both did, Sonya."

"For once, I agree with you, Johnny."

Johnny's grin widened, despite the pain. "Hear that, girls? She called me 'Johnny.'"

Alex smiled. "We believe it, Dad," she said as Cassie resumed breaking her father free.

Once Johnny was freed from his prison, Sonya had helped him out, as the torture he had endured had left him weak. While Cass and Alex tended to Raiden and the others, Johnny whispered into Sonya's ear. Whatever he said had made her smile, Alex and Cass realized as their mother helped their wounded father out of the Jinsei Chamber.

Unknown to them, the reason why Sonya was smiling was because of two words.

"Absolution granted."

 **END.**

Afterthoughts: And that, is that. Story finished. I hope you enjoyed it.


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